Dwight Hottle

No issues and yes it is worth the price. I don't think it is in the same class as the curado dc as it priced basically the same as Antare DC and is described as a modified Antare DC which is top of the line. There is no USDM equivalent for the exsence. As a side note the buddy I sold mine to is an excellent reel tuner and really knows his stuff, a true JDM junky. It is his favorite reel.

I had one but sold it to a friend to replace his antare dc which he didn't like because it showed finger prints. The matte finish on the exsence dc solved that problem. It was a great reel & and is heavily discounted right now because the 2022 model is out. Being saltwater safe is a good thing even if you only use it for fresh water. Have you seen this description? https://japantackle.com/casting-reels/shimano/low-profile-casting-reels/shimano-20exsencedc.html

Will do buddy.

Evergreen utilizes a light wire hook on all of there baits. But they are the sharpest hooks I have ever run across. The tacky hooks almost guarantee a hook up but they are light weight. You just have to adjust by introducing some give in the system by using mono or a moderate action rod or a looser drag or all three.

X2 Either a 200 series or 300 for more line capacity.

I have always had much better success with larger jerk baits for quality smallmouth. I prefer 3/4 oz & 1 oz baits as my go to.

Boat & trailer were seized by authorities. https://fox8.com/email-alerts/breaking-news-email-alerts/boat-trailer-seized-from-man-accused-of-cheating-in-walleye-tournament/ Both men have been formally charged. https://www.mlive.com/news/2022/10/fishermen-caught-in-walleye-cheating-scandal-indicted-on-felony-charges.html

I just compared a curado 200 with a bantam & they are almost the same size but the bantam is slightly smaller. The 2022 bantam is the top of the line reel in Shimano's non DC lineup. It is the equivalent of a conquest in precision & quality making it a better choice than the Chronarch.

Clayton take a look at the alpaca line of products. Super warm, no itch & light weight. I got a hoodie & have been impressed with it's performance. https://www.pakaapparel.com/collections/activewear?utm_source=fbads&utm_medium=paidsocial&utm_campaign=RET_Abandoned+Cart&utm_content=paka11533

I understand your concern but walleye tournaments are always dealing with dead fish anyway unless they adopt a weigh or measure followed by quick release. Unfortunately the tournaments do not dictate how deep you can fish and walleye caught deeper than 35-40 feet are suffering from barotrauma by the time they hit the net. So unless they are properly fizzed they are going to die anyway.

My suggestion to you is to target 200 series reels because they have more line capacity than the 150 series. Look for a curado 200 or tranx 200 or maybe a used antares or calais DC. they all palm comfortably for average size hands.

For spinning reels you can use 10lb or 15lb braid without any problems. Most 10 lb braid breaks at about 17-20lb and with spinning tackle you don't have to worry about back lashes.

I was in a new to me dentist office for cleaning & a general exam at the age of 71. The dentist remarked I still had my wisdom teeth & probably should schedule to have then removed. I asked if there was any pressing need for the removal & his reply was they would eventually cause a problem. My responding remark was I have had them for 71 years without any problems & planned on dying with them intact. He never has brought up the subject again.

Hope it works out well for you.

We used to eat breakfast in North East PA located on the lake. There is a large map on the wall in the entrance hallway depicting known wrecks on lake Erie. As I recall there were over a thousand ships that went down. Lake Erie being the shallowest of the great lakes makes it the most treacherous.

You could make a plastic shim cut out from a water bottle. Easy to do.

I understand what your saying but the world record smallmouth is 11lbs-15ozs and that is long ways away from the recently caught 8lb plus smallies. There has been zero, ziltch numbers of recent smallie catches exceeding 10lbs. Last 10lber caught was 1986 by Paul Beal from Dale Hollow. Based on statistics the largemouth record has a better chance of being broken not the smallmouth record. https://weather.com/sports-recreation/fishing/news/bassmaster-top-smallmouth-bass-20120403

Captain Shane Procell guides out of the Miami area for both bass & peas and runs a yearly trip to Brazil. He recently went for two weeks sponsoring two groups. He is a stand up guy. https://floridaevergladesbassfishingadventures.com/home-page

Everybody experiences losing big fish but some minimize the occurrences. You can minimize your big fish losses to the bog weeds by using braid. The braid itself will cut through most vegetation to help you free the fish. I learned that lesson a long time ago when pike fishing and had a trophy or two bury itself in deep cabbage. Mono would not get them out only braid would work.

I'm old school and always justify carrying a couple of hundred in case of an emergency.

Yuengling comes in a green bottle Mike. Have you tried it? All green bottle beers need to be stored away from sunlight.

Coulda been but in four days of fishing we never saw any sheepies. Water was too cold for them yet.

I can speak from experience that is good advice.

While up on Erie this last May I lost a good one. We were drifting along about 1 mph fishing jerk baits. I was using a deep diver that worked down around 18' deep. I was stroking the bait when suddenly it stopped dead in the water. I thought I was snagged initially but when the drag started slipping well after I was hung up we realized it was a big fish. She continued to pull drag then suddenly the line went limp. I was devastated because I knew that was a big fish. The hook just simply pulled out & that was that. Bugged me the rest of the day. ?

That's a nasty injury. Hope you heal quickly.